Day One: The team
arrived on Saturday morning to an amazing welcome at the airport from the
members of the church we have come to serve. There were signs welcoming us,
hugs to share and lots of excitement on both sides. After a quick stop at the
hotel and a fantastic lunch, we headed directly to the mission field, visiting
children at two different locations (Chivan and Brisas). Games were played,
Bible stories were shared and songs were learned in both English and Spanish.
It was an incredible start to the trip!
Day Two: We were
at church early Sunday, and once again, we were blown away by the spirit and
open arms of the church members. Pastor Tito and the band did an incredible job
praising the Lord and getting us all involved. The Pastor translated for Sam as
he shared a message about coming to know Jesus. The church prepared an
incredible meal for us and we enjoyed sitting down to a lunch full of
fellowship and laughter. We were happy to hear that two people made professions
of faith on Sunday. That evening, Pastor Tito and his wife Mariani showed us a
local attraction, the National Water Park, which is in the Guinness Book of
Records for having both the most complex set of water fountains as well as the
highest single jet of water in a fountain. It was awesome! The fountains were beautifully lit and many
were interactive. We completely enjoyed the experience.
Day 3: Monday morning found us setting up our first
medical/dental/vision clinic in the neighborhood of Brisas, in the home of one
of the church members. Two Peruvian dentists and a Peruvian doctor and nurse
came to help minister to the people that flocked to the clinic. It was an incredibly long day, but many
people were seen and most importantly, 23 people accepted Jesus and their Lord
and Savior!
Day 4: Tuesday we
headed out once more to another missions center in Chavin, setting up in the
home of another church member. Once again, it was another very long day that
had many people treated for ailments they would not have had the opportunity to
had seen otherwise. Children flooded the street outside the home and filled the
air with laughter. It was humbling to
have the woman of the house invite us all to sit in her house and share our
meal at lunch time. Again, the most amazing number the day was that another 23
came to know Jesus!
Day 5: The last
day of clinics finished up at the church in the morning. We were blessed one
more day to have amazing Peruvian team members helping us by translating,
filling in wherever required and basically modeling Christ's love. In the
afternoon, the sewing ministry began after lunch and went until late in the
evening as the ladies involved were determined
to finish as many projects as they could in one sitting! We cannot say enough good things about Pastor
Tito, Mariani and the people of this church. It has been an amazing trip to
this point and we are praying for God's strength, courage and protection as we
look to finish strong!
